Vegan Italian Sausage Hot Pockets!

Hot Pockets!  Yup, I said it!  This is a healthy, vegan plant based recipe, instead of the frozen suckers that I am sure everyone has devoured at least once in their lifetime.

Sadly enough, I used to love those frozen hot pockets.  I don't even want to know what ingredients they use when making those.  I am sure low grade, hormone filled meat and tons of preservatives and chemicals.  Um, no thanks!

Instead, why not make your own?  They are great for adults and kids alike!  Plus, you can make many at a time and freeze the left overs!  Makes for a quick meal when you don't have time to cook.


Vegan Italian Sausage Hot Pockets

Really, you can make many varieties of a hot pockets.  I wanted to go the Italian route today, so I used vegan sausage crumbles, a bunch of veggies and tomato sauce.  The filling was fantastic!  If you have any filling left over, it is great over some pasta!

You can make everything from scratch, like the tomato sauce and pizza dough, but I opted to take the easier route and buy vegan pizza dough and sauce. 



Ingredients/Directions: (yields 4-6 pockets)
1 package pre-made pizza dough (or make your favorite recipe
1 jar vegan tomato sauce
3/4 c sausage style tvp (or premade ground vegan beef)
3/4 c "beefless" broth or veggie broth (do not need if using premade ground beef)
1/2 red and green bell pepper chopped
1/2 onion chopped
1 garlic clove minced
1/2 c chopped mushrooms
2 tsp liquid smoke
2 tsp crushed red peppers
1/2 tsp cayanne pepper
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp garlic powder
s+p
1 tbsp evoo + 2 tbsp for brushing dough

Bring broth to a boil and add to the tvp.  Mix completely and let sit for 10 minutes.  In meantime, heat evoo in a large saute pan and add in garlic, onion and peppers and saute for about 5 minutes.  Add in mushrooms and continue to saute until everything is cooked (roughly 5 more minutes). 
Add the tvp or premade vegan ground beef to the veggies, and stir.  Add tomato sauce, liquid smoke and seasonings and continue to mix.  Adjust seasoning to taste and set aside.

Preheat oven 425 (this was according to my dough!)

Roll out your pizza dough, on a lightly floured surface.  The thickness of the dough should resemble that of a thin crust pizza.  With a rectangular mold (I used the top of tupperware) cut out as many rectangles as you have dough.  Take one rectangle and spoon in about 3-4 tbsp of your mixture.  Take another rectagle and place on top.  With a fork, seal all around the pocket on both sides.  Lightly brush with evoo on both sides as well.  Repeat this until all your dough or mixture is gone.

Bake in oven for about 12-15 minutes, flipping half way through.  Let cool for about 5 minutes.  Brings you back to your childhood!